How the Royal Navy helped win the Second Boer War (1899-1902)

By the end of 1899, the British prospects in South Africa appeared grim, as the forces of the Boer republics inflicted a series of defeats on the underprepared British Army during the so-called “Black Week”.

Meanwhile, at sea, the Royal Navy worked tirelessly to prevent the delivery of weapons to the Boers from Portuguese East Africa. Soon, they would address another critical issue: on land, British artillery was outclassed and outranged by the superior Boer cannons.

General Sir George White (VC), commanding the beleaguered British garrison at Ladysmith, was in a dire situation. He was even instructed to surrender, responding famously: “”I hold Ladysmith for the Queen”. The defiant general then formally appealed to the Royal Navy squadron stationed offshore for assistance. The solution did not lie in the light guns typically deployed by naval landing parties but rather in dismantling the formidable heavy guns from the warships and transporting them to the battlefield.

Captain Percy Scott, a passionate artillery enthusiast, eagerly took up the challenge. He arranged for the 4.7-inch and 12-pounder guns from HMS Terrible and HMS Powerful to be brought ashore. Demonstrating his ingenuity, he personally designed suitable gun carriages for these formidable cannons. Along with the guns, he dispatched sailors to operate them and Royal Marines to provide protection.

The Royal Navy’s guns quickly became a prominent feature in the most critical battles of the war. In total, 60 guns, supported by 1,400 sailors and marines, were made available to the army. The deployment of these naval guns captured the attention of the British press and fired the imagination of the public.

Olivier Goossens